Tribes in Ancient India c37.10

c37.10

The *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa*⁶ mentions in the list of peoples inhabiting the eastern countries a tribe called the Andhrarakas which is substituted by the Andhravākas.⁷ But both seem to be misreadings for the Andhras who were always a people of the southern regions, as also in view of the fact that the same *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa* places a people called the Andhas along with the Maulikas, Aśmakas, Bhogavardhanas, Naiṣikas, Kuntalas, etc., in the southern region.¹ The reading Andhas is also corrected in the *Vāyupurāṇa* as Andhras.² These peoples are mentioned in the *Mahābhārata* in the *Udyogaparvan* and *Bhīṣmaparvan* as Andhakas and Andhras respectively.³ According to the *Sabhāparvan* and *Vanaparvan*,⁴ the Andhas or Āndhras were a rude uncivilised people.